Surprisingly, the answer is, 'Yes. Yes you can.'

The original EQOA is the best of the overcrowded MMORPG herd. It's simple and fast paced, inexpensive and addictive. From a technology perspective it does amazing things on a PS2 without a harddrive. When I first played it, I couldn't imagine making a better RPG without waiting for the next generation of consoles to come out.

But SOE did it. EQOA: Frontiers is that better RPG! It's the same shared world as the original- both sets of players can fight side-by-side. Most of what SOE improved on are the little things, things that you'd never even notice until you played both. The imagery and music is better. There are ambient effects like fog and raining brimstone in the right places. The skies and the weather are just a little bit more present and real.

Best of all, though, your character is more customizable with better textures and an absolutely fantastic 'Class Mastery' system that lets you choose what path you want to take to power. Even within the same class and race, two characters can end up with very different strengths and weaknesses.

Add all that to making what is already a huge online landscape even larger, and you have more than a great game. It's an achievement.

And so I'd have to say that EQOA: Frontiers is my new pick for the finest of the MMORPG genre. Start with the original if you're skeptical- it only costs as much as a month's subscription. But mark my words, you'll end up buying the upgrade to fuel your addiction.

And when you do, you'll be impressed. Very impressed.